


Old Friend

by MlleMusketeer



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 15:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/863587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MlleMusketeer/pseuds/MlleMusketeer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ratchet frets about Optimus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Friend

He is always left behind. 

There is good reason for this. He's no sparkling, to chafe at the necessity of remaining at base, operating the ground bridge and patching up whatever wounds the others have managed to collect today. But sometimes, like this time, it is hard.

He tries to ignore the fact that these hard times are strongly correlated to the times when Megatron shows his ugly face. Often he only finds out afterward, but who needs an open comm link when Optimus's behavior as good as blares it? 

Today, he finishes patching up a somber Optimus with a stern injunction to rest--the injuries themselves are minor, but he could use the reminder. As usual. No one says much after that, and when Optimus leaves (not, Ratchet is certain, to rest), he asks Arcee, "Megatron?"

"Who else?" she says, a sour twist to her mouth. He doesn't press the matter further.

He doesn't understand why Optimus still allows Megatron such a hold over him. He knows that they were close, doesn't want to know how close, but Megatron has thoroughly proven himself an entirely different mech than the one he presented himself as all those eons ago. He wishes Optimus would allow himself anger on his own behalf, for his own betrayal. 

Of course he doesn't. Never will. Probably sees it as selfish. Never mind that it's a perfectly reasonable reaction. Never mind that it's hard to conceive of a mech less selfish than Optimus. 

He wishes he could go with them more often. It's bad enough seeing the physical wounds; it's the ones he can't see that worry him most. Sometimes he wonders if this has turned into a war of mental attrition, and if it has, they will lose. He cannot see anything Optimus might say getting under Megatron's plating the same way that today's jibe has gotten under Optimus's. He will say the usual things, unsolicited (because Optimus shouldn't have to ask), that there are still things, important things that they defend, that it is not their fault that this war has come to this world, that what they're doing does matter. 

And Optimus will listen gravely and say, "Thank you, old friend," words that should be meaningless through repetition but aren't, not in his mouth, and things will continue in the same way. 

 He would give anything to change that pattern. 


End file.
